For parents who are already struggling financially, holidays can be stressful and an unwelcome burden.

Yet there are also many reasons why spending the holidays with a preschooler may be beneficial for your child.

If you want to raise a happy and successful child, you must tackle the topic of holiday stress head-on.

How to Prepare for a Day Out with Your Preschooler?

If you decide to take your child out for the day, there are a few things you can do to prepare. These include:

• Starting from the beginning – Talk to your child and try to plan a day out together.
• Being familiar with the area where you will be going.
• Avoid eating or drinking too much sugar or stimulants such as black coffee, caffeine, Cola, etc.

Preparing in advance can reduce the stress of the day and make it more enjoyable for everyone.

You might come up with a list of places to go or things your child may like, making sure to pick a place that you know has lots of interesting things for your child to do. You should also make a note of restaurants and cafes where you can stop for lunch or dinner.

Different Activities for Specific Times of the Day

Planning in some quiet time is also important – remember that even preschoolers need rest.

Breakfast should be relaxing, but not too relaxed – you want to let your child unwind a little bit before the day kicks off.

Morning is also a good time to go for walks and try out some of the games or activities you have packed in advance. These will help with your planning later in the morning.

You could visit an indoor play area or head out to catch some fresh air and do some shopping at the same time.

In the evening, it might be worth planning some quiet activities such as snuggling under your t-shirt blankets and watching a movie together. This will help both of you to relax after a busy day.

If you plan to cook a big meal, it’s good to do this earlier in the day so that you can relax at the end, rather than rushing around.

Your child will also enjoy coming back home and resting up before bedtime.

What About Treats?

Most parents have different opinions about treats – some opt to allow treats most of the time, and others don’t.

Either way is fine, but you should try and keep in mind that children look forward to these treats, so if you can’t (or don’t want to) treat your child every day, then at least try not to deprive them of all the fun they could be having.

You should, however, be wary of giving too much sugar and unhealthy food to your child, especially if you’re planning to go out.

If possible, try and find a balance between healthy and sweet treats when you are out, but always have healthy snacks to hand for when you are at home.